The Denver Broncos clearly needed some help at running back during the 2025 NFL Season after J.K. Dobbins went down with what turned into a season-ending foot injury. Dobbins seemed to be close to returning for the AFC Chamionship Game, but that isn't really the point.
He re-signed on a two-year deal in the offseason, and the Broncos also addressed the position in the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Jonah Coleman in the fourth round. Ever since being drafted, Coleman has done nothing but impress and feels poised to hold a major role in the offense this year, even with RJ Harvey being present in the room.
And the latest insight into Coleman and the Broncos backfield does paint that picture with the regular season approaching.
Denver Broncos rookie RB could be primed for a major, legitimate role in 2026
For ESPN, Dan Graziano rolled out bold predictions for each team, and his write-up on the Broncos was quite interesting to say the least:
"What I'm hearing: The Broncos believe Coleman to be a perfect fit for Sean Payton's offense. They drafted him in the fourth round this year, even after taking RJ Harvey in the second round last year and bringing back J.K. Dobbins in free agency. Dobbins will be the starting running back, but he carries a significant history of injury. The belief here is that Coleman will overtake Harvey on the depth chart early in the season and is the top choice to step in as the lead guy if Dobbins has to miss games. The Broncos see Coleman as a pro-ready pass protector whose running style is similar to that of Dobbins."
This potential scenario playing out might be the most ideal possible situation the Broncos could have hoped for from Coleman this year. Head coach Sean Payton is on record comparing Dobbins' and Coleman's running styles, so that tracks.
He's also someone who does have pass protection chops and appears to be a very efficient runner between the tackles, which is simply something we did not see from Harvey. With Coleman repsent in the room, Harvey appears to be trending toward having a Darren Sproles-esque role. Payton coached Sproles for three years in New Orleans. In 44 games for the Saints, Sproles racked up 1,067 rushing yards, 1,981 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns.
And it's not that Harvey can't be a factor in 2026, but it doesn't appear like he's trending toward having a substantial role as a runner. That is both a slight issue, but also a testament to Coleman's performances this offseason.
The neat thing about playing running back in the NFL is that it is a position where immediate production can be found. That was the case when Dobbins was a rookie, and while Harvey wasn't a good runner last year, he still found the endzone 12 times.
But the main idea here is Coleman - he may already be the RB2 of this team and could finally help the Broncos shore up the running back room once and for all, and if Denver is able to run the ball well in 2026, the Super Bowl is absolutely realistic.
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